What Weakness Is Not
by PaolaAdara
Summary: When Yzak ponders something, he ponders hard...


Title: What Weakness Is Not

Author: Paola

Disclaimer: _What Weakness Is Not_ is based on characters and situations that belong to Sotsu Agency, Bandai Studios, and TV Asashi (and other production affiliates that have the right of ownership). No money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Considerations: Similarities to other stories/events/passages are purely coincidental unless otherwise cited.

_**What Weakness Is Not**_

The Duel pilot never understood it. It was the weirdest thing that he had ever witnessed. Who would've thought it was even possible? He knew him, and all the years they'd been friends, his idiot of a friend never gave him the impression that he could be lured into falling into such a deep pit of absurdity. Maybe it was a moment of weakness; after all, he had been a captive. And, by gods! This kind of thing only happened in the movies. In real life? Yzak thought it too funny to be even remotely possible, but here was his friend, making a fool of Yzak's beliefs…and the guy wasn't even aware of it!

Yzak unconsciously scowled.

He knew whom he had sided with during the war. It had been inevitable…they were from the same team, after all. Once the commander decided to perform an unthinkable action, it just had a domino effect. Athrun started it; he took Kira's side. Then Dearka followed. Yzak had thought their actions ridiculous and unthinkable, but what he never imagined was that he was capable of doing the same damned thing. Next thing he knew, he was helping the Archangel fight the Earth Alliance Forces. The fact that even ZAFT was fighting the EA and the understanding that the whole Archangel, Kusanagi, and Eternal crews were protecting the PLANTs didn't mellow the knowledge that he had helped protect Kira and his friends.

In retrospect, he thought he did the right thing. The PLANTs were saved. From then on, his view on the Coordinator-Natural issue changed. The Naturals…they weren't that different from them. As Lacus had said, it was wrong of the Coordinators, even the Naturals, to think that the genetically enhanced generation was a different species.

But that didn't alter his understanding---or the lack thereof---of Dearka's current disposition. Yzak might've been surprised to hear of Athrun and Cagalli, but he wasn't exactly friends with Athrun at that time, and heck, he had hated Zala's guts so much he couldn't care less if he married a Natural.

Yzak watched as Dearka stumbled for words at the sight of Miriallia in a bathing suit. Kira had already complimented Lacus, and now, they were all waiting for the blonde boy to do the same to the girl they all knew he liked. He noticed Athrun's demeanour didn't change upon seeing Cagalli so it was safe to say that both were enjoying the cool waters even without the whole gang. He could spy Sai and Kuzzey by the backyard patio, holding a contraption, which suspiciously looked like a video camera. Yzak shook his head. Boy, Dearka was sure in for a painful amount of embarrassing memories.

Cagalli had invited them to her residence for an afternoon dip in her luxurious pool. Yzak groaned as he remembered how his mother had coaxed him into accepting the invitation. Why did she have to insist on him staying on Earth in the first place? Now he knew. She wanted him to pursue the camaraderie Athrun and Dearka found there, and to experience, for the first time since he was enlisted in the military, what it really was to be a teenager. He had wanted to go back to the PLANTs, but his mother was adamant about him being unneeded there right now.

He watched Dearka stutter his way to hell.

_Jeez, Dearka. Just tell her what you really think._

That was another thing he couldn't comprehend: how Dearka could get so tongue-tied in front of that brown-haired Natural. Back in the PLANTs, the Buster pilot didn't even need to bat an eyelash to woo some girls. He just had to put his so-called _charm_ into play then---voila!---girls threw themselves at him, and his place in the red-coat didn't hurt either. Guess the uniform didn't matter much to Miriallia.

_Man, how hard did he fall?_

Dearka's affections for a certain Natural…Yzak had been noticing it for a while, and Cagalli's relentless teasing was a dead giveaway, but it wasn't until now that he got to dwell on it. It wasn't as if he had anything better to do than lounge around and observe a few things. And it wasn't like they would notice him---he did bring it in mind to wear dark sunglasses.

After his trip to Embarrassment Land, Dearka seemed ready to collapse. Yzak had to wonder why his best friend couldn't get what he felt for Miriallia out in the open. He knew of Tolle's death, but that was months ago, and Miriallia must've somehow moved on. But what did he know? There was something keeping Dearka from fully expressing his feelings, and the memory of Tolle being that something couldn't just be scrapped out.

_As if falling for a Natural---whose boyfriend got killed by our former commander, might I add---wasn't bad enough, he had to stutter his way to her. Sheez. What a weakling._

With an imperceptive nod, the pale-haired pilot decided that the captive falling for his jailer stemmed from a moment of weakness. Yes, that was it.

Now that he thought about it, he wasn't even sure if the Buster pilot was really in love with the girl who used to be in-charge of the Archangel's CIC. Despite their friendship, Dearka didn't exactly go up to him and confess that he was head-over-heels in love with Miriallia. Yzak was actually thankful since he wouldn't know what to do if that happened. But, anyway, judging by how careful Dearka acted around her and how he treated her very differently from the other girls he met and hung out with back at the PLANTs, he must really like her…love her even.

_Love._

He scoffed. He had seen what it did to the guys. Athrun, his former commander---he rolled his eyes at the thought---was willing to get dragged into anything by Cagalli because he said he loved her. Kira was attached to Lacus at the hip, and even though he and Lacus were yet to be an item, Yzak knew the Freedom pilot loved the pink-haired songstress. And Dearka? Well, he seemed to be pretty fine with doing things for Miriallia.

Yzak didn't know why he was getting so riled up at the prospect of being a…a…a slave---_dammit!_---for love. Damn, that was lame, but what the heck, Yzak couldn't think of anything.

"Hey, Yzak, what's up?"

Yzak rolled his eyes at the blue-haired Coordinator. "Nothing that remotely concerns you, Zala."

"Okay, then, what's eating you?" Athrun remained passive, though he noted Yzak's caustic tone.

"Rephrasing the question won't give you a different answer."

Athrun laughed at his comrade's temperament. Then in a conspiratorial tone, he whispered, "You know what, Yzak, if you think those sunglasses keep you from being too obvious, you're greatly mistaken." He pointed at the dark spectacles resting atop the bridge of Yzak's nose. "You should know better than that."

Yzak's eyes widened, though Athrun couldn't really see it. "How---wait a minute! I _wasn't_---do you hear me?---_wasn't_ observing them!"

Athrun shrugged. He really hadn't known what Yzak was looking at, but based on his reactions, he had guessed right. "Okay, go nuts in convincing yourself that." He settled himself on the chaise lounge adjacent to Yzak.

"Zala, if you know what's good for you, you will believe me," he glared at the addressed Coordinator. Athrun was beginning to annoy him to a length Yzak never knew the former Justice pilot could reach. The worse thing was, Athrun seemed to be doing it on purpose. He was hating the idea that Athrun was recovering from the effects of the war and that he was getting relaxed with their life now because he was looking intent on aggravating Yzak's nerves.

Athrun reclined in his seat, crossing his arms behind his head. "You know what, Yzak, if you're curious as to why and how Dearka got interested---that's putting it lightly---in Miriallia, why don't you just ask him?"

Yzak ripped off his sunglasses and sat up with such speed that Athrun thought he might shoot out of his seat. _"I AM NOT CURIOUS AT ALL, YOU PESKY SOD!"_ He really wanted to be left to his thoughts, but the blue-haired pilot was ostensibly acknowledging nothing of his sentiments.

Apparently, his sudden outburst caught another person's attention.

"Hey, what are you fighting about?" Cagalli's voice made its way towards the duo.

Athrun inclined his neck to glance at the princess. "We're not fighting."

She looked at them skeptically before shrugging. "All right. Anyway, I'm getting an apple. Kinda feeling peckish. Want one?"

Yzak watched as Athrun smiled, nodded his head, and followed the Orb princess with his eyes.

"Now, where were we?" Athrun returned his gaze on Yzak.

"We weren't on anything."

"Oh yeah, your curiosity," he continued as if Yzak hadn't spoken.

The pissed-off Gundam pilot hissed, "I told you, Zala, I'm not curious of how Dearka can fall for his jailer. Or why he did. Or how he was making a fool of himself in front of her. Or how he can get himself to do chores for her. Or how even you and Kira can follow Lacus and Cagalli _everywhere_ they want to go, for that matter. It's stupid. You weaklings. Dammit, you make me retch!"

Athrun looked at him with a positively amused expression. "Whew! All that in seven seconds?" He gave him a triumphant smirk. "I couldn't get more from you had I tried."

Yzak's eyes widened again, realizing how big his slip was. He growled. _Goddamit!_

Athrun stood up and stretched. "I'm going to the kitchen." He started to walk away. "You know what, you're in _dire_ need of a little falling in love, or, at least, get yourself a girlfriend. That might help."

The fair-head gritted his teeth. He hurled his unused towel at the blue-head, but the wind countered the fluffy object's impetus, and, anyway, Athrun was already too far away to get hit by it. He scowled once more and put his sunglasses back on. He promptly deflated and crashed back on his seat, heaving a vexed sigh.

He looked over to the pool and saw how cheery Kira and Lacus seemed, and even Dearka and Miriallia, who were still shy with each other, looked totally happy. Athrun had given off the aura of contentment brought about by his being with Cagalli, a while ago, too.

He sighed again, defeated. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe they weren't weaklings. Maybe _Dearka_ wasn't a weakling. Maybe his falling for a Natural wasn't due to a moment of weakness. Maybe doing things for one's significant other wasn't pathetic. Maybe, just maybe, it was even a brave thing to do. Fighting against the odds and risking their hearts at the same time might not exactly be signs of weakness. Naturals and Coordinators were enjoying peace as of the moment, but there were still some who were greatly biased of their own races, and Dearka was brave enough to get past that and fall in love with Miriallia.

Maybe.

Yzak was still unsure, but one thing he was certain about…

_I don't need a girlfriend, dammit!_

-The End

Author's Notes:

Happy Valen---do not throw that pitchfork at me! XD This isn't one of my Holiday specials, but the real Valentine's fic is still yet to be finished. Sorry about that. This was supposed to be a part of a chapter for _Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Life After War_, but this kind of doesn't go anymore with what I have in mind right now.

My Valentine's special will still come out, though I can't promise a release date as of now…really sorry. Hope this tides you over.

Happy reading! Thanks! Cheers.


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